


Birthday Wish

by Queenbee3480



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:47:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27359782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenbee3480/pseuds/Queenbee3480
Summary: It's Emma's 31st birthday and the only thing she wants is the one thing she can't have.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 175





	Birthday Wish

Emma knew she was caught. When the topic of her birthday had first came up, it seemed unimportant. The Snow Queen had locked them into town, a ridiculous spell was threatening to tear the town apart, and something was going on between Rumple and Hook that she knew she should probably pay closer attention to, but really didn’t care about.

When Snow brought it up at the time, it was easy to brush off. She didn’t really do birthdays, anyway. The closest she had come was a self-indulgent cupcake with a single candle and a silent wish 3 years earlier, and well, look how that turned out.

Ok, so it had turned out great. More than great, obviously. But it was still scary and overwhelming and so on her 29th she didn’t dare dabble in wishes because now she knew how powerful they really were. Besides, they were in Neverland, so any wishes she was going to make probably would have only involved just getting them all home.

Her 30th was the most disappointing, mostly because at the time she had thought it had been great. Henry had saved up and bought her a spa package at a new resort not far from their apartment ( _You need to relax, Mom)_. Walsh had taken her out for a romantic night of dinner and dancing, and she had been truly happy at the time.

Until of course, an annoying one-handed pirate had shown up with a potion that made her realize she had spent her 30th birthday with a flying monkey instead of everyone she cared about.

Her parents.

Neal (That one hurt, especially now that he was really gone for good).

Ruby, Gods bless that crazy girl.

Even Gold, to a degree, had become family.

And of course….As she found herself doing so often lately, she shook her head violently as she thought about _Her._

“It’s your 30th, right?” Ruby asked.

When no answer came from the blonde, she repeated the question. “Emma? Is it your 30th next week?”

“31st, actually” she answered absently. She had been successful in avoiding this conversation so far, but her defenses were down right now because _She_ had just walked in.

The scowl came to her face automatically when she saw who Regina walked in with. Ruby saw the dark look and followed her eyes to the sight of Regina Mills and Robin Hood smiling at each other, oblivious to everything else around them.

 _”So, that’s the way the wind blows,”_ Ruby thought, smiling to herself.

“Emma, I got to get back to work. I’ll…..just let you brood in peace, ok?”

“I’m _not_ brooding,” she replied automatically.

And she wasn’t, she assured herself. She was just, um, _ruminating_.

Yup. That’s it. She was ruminating. And since she was, she might as well indulge and ruminate back to the last real conversation she had had with Regina.

_“Your magic is really coming along, dear” Regina complimented her as she accepted a 3 rd glass of wine from her friend. _

_“Thanks. I can’t believe I was able to move that boulder today.”_

_“Moved it? You threw it into the stratosphere. It never even stood a chance.” It was easier when she was slightly tipsy to compliment Emma on her accomplishments. Truth be told, they were genuinely impressive, but Regina wasn’t normally one for gushing._

_Regina watched as Emma set down the bottle of wine and poured herself a 4 th shot of whiskey. Emma mistook the look for one of judgement and rushed to her own defense. _

_“What? I’m celebrating.”_

_Regina chuckled. “Don’t let me stop you, dear. You’ve earned it. Zelena will never know what hit her.”_

_That night, right about the time that Emma was crossing over from tipsy into genuinely drunk, she had first let her distaste towards the new guy in town become known._

_“What do you even see in him? He’s so…..bland.”_

_Regina did not respond and if Emma had been paying closer attention, she would have seen the flash of hurt in her eyes. But she wasn’t paying attention because now that she had begun to talk, it was hard to stop._

_“He literally lost your heart. How do you get over something like that?” She had just enough presence of mind to stop herself from declaring that if_ she _had been the one charged with keeping Regina’s heart safe, it would have never been buried in the woods vulnerable to act of thievery from the Dark One._

_She should have seen the warning in Regina’s eyes, but she was too lost in her own frustration. “You brought that thing back from the brink of extinction, Regina. And he just ups and loses it. What’s up with that?”_

_“That_ thing? _” Regina asked dangerously. “Do you mean my heart?”_

_This time, she did hear the warning in her friend’s voice, and she looked up in alarm to see the storm brewing in the brunette’s eyes._

_“Shit, I’m sorry, Regina. That’s not what I meant.”_

_“No, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear, Miss Swan,” and with that she stood up, effectively dismissing the Sherriff. Emma thought about arguing, trying to convince her to stay, but if there was one thing she knew about Regina Mills it was that there was no convincing her to do anything she didn’t want to do._

_She stood up to leave. She was too buried in her frustration at her own inability to express herself properly to truly pay attention, but if she had bothered looking back, she might have noticed the thoughtfulness that was brewing behind the hurt._

“Is she still looking over here?”

Robin glanced up from his meal and grinned. “She sure is. And she looks mad.”

“Good.” Regina deliberately leaned in forward and touched Robin on the arm. “Thanks for doing this for me, Robin. You’re a good friend.”

He placed his own hand on top of hers, making sure to look her in the eyes a moment longer than strictly necessary. “I’m happy to do this for you, Regina. Now, smile. She is about to walk past.”

Regina flipped her hair and let out a carefree, airy laugh as she kept her gaze on the man across from her, never looking up as the Sherriff stomped out of the diner. As soon as she left, the two of them burst into laughter.

“Will Scarlett had better not choose tonight to break the law,” Robin chuckled. “That girl is spoiling for a fight.”

She waved Ruby over for the check. “I’m so grateful to Marion as well. She doesn’t have to indulge this at all.”

“She is ready for us to go public with our relationship, that is true. But she knows she is my true love, and she is ok with waiting. After all, you did save Roland’s life and take care of him in her absence.”

She winced at the mention of the absence that she had been the cause of. He noticed and squeezed her hand. “It’s in the past, Regina. I know that and Marion does as well. She considers you a friend.”

Regina made a noise of disbelief and his voice grew insistent. “She does. Not just because you saved her life, either. You’ve come so far.”

“A long way from that girl outside the tavern,” she agreed.

“Yes. Pixie dust is not infallible, it would seem.”

A disgusted sound interrupted them as Tink plopped down unceremoniously. “I will have you know that there was nothing wrong with that pixie dust. You two were soul mates. You know, back then.”

She reached across the table for one of Robin’s French fries and he swatted her arm down playfully. _“Marion_ is my soul mate.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know she is, but trust me, she wasn’t back then. The version of you that met Marion is not the same person that was in that tavern that night. And Gods knows _she_ isn’t the same person anymore.” She jabbed her finger at Regina accusingly. “Talk about taking the scenic route to your happy ending.”

Regina just smirked at her, completely unoffended. Tink and Robin were both good friends and they were helping her get what she wanted now more than anything: That beautiful, infuriating creature that ran around town in tight jeans and tank tops, driving Regina crazy.

Emma Swan. She indulged in a private smile as she thought about her. Or at least she thought it was a private smile, but from the snickers coming from her companions, she guessed she wasn’t that successful in keeping it hidden.

Whoops.

That day on the town line, she had placed her hands in Emma’s and gifted her with a lifetime of memories shared with Henry. It wasn’t until after Emma drove off and the curse destroyed Storybrooke that she realized that mixed in with those memories, she had also given away her heart.

A torturous year in the Enchanted Forest and two battles with psycho witches later, she was ready to make her move.

Henry called it Operation Swan Queen. He qualified the name with the disclaimer that he would have preferred Operation Get My Dumb Lovesick Moms to Stop Mooning Over Each Other and Kiss Already, but it didn’t really roll off the tongue well.

“So, what’s our next step?” The question came from Tink, but Regina didn’t have an answer. The plan to make Emma jealous was a solid one, and it appeared to be working, but she hadn’t really thought much about what would come next.

“Maybe I can help.” Regina’s eyes snapped up to see Ruby standing by the table. Her eyes narrowed. She liked the wolf, that much was true, but she was one of Emma’s closest friends. Plus, she was best friends with Snow White and any plan that involved stealth most definitely should not involve Snow White.

“Wolf hearing, sorry,” Ruby said with a shrug. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. You should know that Emma is completely gone over you. Like, over the moon.”

She ducked her face to keep her smile at that statement from showing on her face, but clearly it was pointless with this group. “What did you have in mind, Miss Lucas?”

“Well, Emma’s 31st birthday is next week. Maybe we should throw her a party.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Regina allowed Tink to fasten her necklace for her.

“I’m really proud of you, you know.”

She turned to her with a puzzled smile. “Whatever for?”

“Look at you.” She nodded towards Regina’s reflection in the mirror and Regina turned back around to study herself.

“The first time I saw you, you were scared of your own shadow. Too scared to do anything but hate. Do you remember that?”

She didn’t reply. She didn’t have to.

“Who would have thought that the same girl that was afraid to open a tavern door is getting ready to lay her heart out on the line for love.”

She groaned at the reminder, the butterflies starting again. “Thanks for reminding me. I was just starting to breathe normally.”

Tink put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You’re not that girl anymore. You can do this.”

The doorbell rang, signaling Robin’s arrival. It was showtime.

\--------------------------------------------

At the diner, Emma had just arrived for her birthday party. Thankfully, they hadn’t tried to surprise her because she hated surprises. She didn’t really want a party either, but the combined persuasion powers of Henry, Snow and Ruby overwhelmed her. She agreed, although she started to wish she hadn’t right around the time that she caught a glimpse of the guest list and saw Regina and Robin close to the top.

She didn’t tell anyone that she had pre-gamed in attempt to get through the experience of watching the two of them make eyes at each other during her party. By the time she arrived, she was already 3 beers into her personal celebration.

 _“Happy Freaking Birthday to me_ ” she thought bitterly as Robin and Regina arrived. She tried not to overreact when Regina gave her a brief hug. It was the first physical contact the two had had in months.

“Happy birthday, Miss Swan,” Regina murmured. She pressed a small box into Emma’s hands and turned away, the scent of her perfume lingering behind.

“I’ll put that with the others.” Ruby snatched the box before Emma could think too much about what was inside. She tried to distract herself with the arrival of the rest of the guests, but her eyes kept wandering towards Regina and the pang in her heart as she watched her mingle easily was making this night unbearable. Just when she thought she could take no more, Regina appeared at her arm.

“May I have this dance, Miss Swan?”

Her heart stopped beating for a minute. She had been too busy trying not to kill Robin earlier to really see Regina before, but damn did she look breathtaking. Suddenly, all she wanted to was to rid Regina of the burgundy dress that hugged every curve of her body, leaving only the diamond pendant at her throat. Regina smirked as though she could read her mind.

That wasn’t possible, right?

She reached up to take Regina’s hand, but could not resist asking, “What about Robin?”

“Let me worry about that,” she replied, leading them onto the dance floor.

As they danced, Regina pressed her lips against the blonde’s ear. “I’ve noticed you watching me,” she whispered. Emma turned hot but didn’t deny it.

“Nothing to say?”

She had so much to say, but no idea how to say any of it. This was the Regina of her dreams: flirtatious, sexy, and most importantly, with eyes only on her.

“Regina, I…” her voice trailed off.

“Very eloquent, Miss Swan,” she teased, and Emma shook her head. After enjoying her discomfort for a bit, Regina turned serious.

“Talk to me, Emma. What’s wrong?”

“We haven’t spoken in _months_ Regina. I know that I hurt you the last time we spoke.”

“You didn’t,” Regina insisted. At Emma’s look of disbelief, she clarified. “Ok, you did. But not for the reason you are thinking.”

Emma shook her head, thinking about that night. “I care about you so much, Regina. I hate that we haven’t talked in so long.”

She nodded, encouraging the blonde to continue. “I guess I don’t know where I fit in your life anymore. I miss you.”

Over Emma’s shoulder, she could see Tink’s questioning look. This wasn’t going according to plan at all. The original plan had involved playing up the blonde’s jealousy, a semi-public scene and a public declaration of love. It had never really sat well with Regina.

At first, she thought it was because she was a private person and didn’t really do public displays of emotion. That was true, but it was more than that. Emma deserved better than a pre-staged scene in front of all her friends. What they needed to discuss, needed to be done in private.

Making a snap decision, she changed the plan. “Come with me?” she questioned and without hesitation the blonde nodded. She flicked her wrist, poofing them into her bedroom, stopping only for a second to pick up the gift she had given Emma earlier in the evening.

\------------------------------------------

“I’m sorry again about what I said that night,” Emma tried, but Regina put her hand up to stop her. She placed one finger on Emma’s lips.

“Shh. You were right that night. It hurt only because it made me question so many things.”

Emma’s breath caught.

“Well, my delivery could have been better,” she pointed out and Regina laughed.

“True enough.”

“Can I try again?”

“By all means.”

She was suddenly twisting her hands nervously. “Umm. Can we sit?”

Careful to hide the laughter in her eyes, she sat down and waited patiently.

“Ok. Um. What I wanted to say that night….”

She waited and then cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, Miss Swan?”

“I just wanted you to know that if you had given _me_ your heart instead of Robin, I would have guarded it with my life. It never would have been in danger of being stolen because it never would have left my sight.”

She was being given a moment of her dreams and because she was Regina freaking Mills, she had to try to ruin it. “So, my heart isn’t just a _thing_ then?”

Emma reached out and stroked her face. “Your heart is a treasure, Regina. I would have treated it with all the devotion it deserves.”

Regina’s eyes wanted to flutter closed and cherish the moment, but they weren’t quite there yet.

“Good,” she said firmly. “That makes this easier, then.”

“Huh?”

“You were right, Emma. Robin wasn’t the right guardian for my heart.” She held out the box containing Emma’s birthday present. “Happy birthday.”

When Emma opened the box and saw the red orb shining brightly, she nearly stopped breathing. She looked up at Regina, hope in her eyes.

“It’s yours, Emma, if you want it. Forever.”

She held it in her arms reverently. “I don’t want anything else. Ever.”

Regina cleared her throat, trying not to let her emotions overwhelm her. “Glad to hear it. Now put it back where it belongs so I can enjoy it when I kiss you senseless.”

Doing as instructed, Emma grinned. Maybe birthdays weren’t so bad after all.


End file.
